Senegal : a state of change

Each book in Oxfam's "Country Profiles" series describes the social, political, historical, environmental and economic context of Oxfam's work in one particular country.

The books focus on the real lives of ordinary people and the major development issues that face them, and are illustrated with photographs, maps and diagrams.

Senegal, standing at the crossroads of African, Islamic and European cultures, is a country of complexity.

Nationalist movements, free market economic reforms and the breakdown of traditional family patterns have brought about a period of radical change in the 1990s.

Not all the forces of change are destructive, however.

Democracy and free speech are guaranteed. Small enterprises flourish, and although the government has withdrawn from providing many social sevices, resourceful voluntary groups are attempting to fill the gap.